The Wrath of Python
by annabethisterrified
Summary: Four months after the Giant War, the lack of prophecies is making the gods distraught. The Fates don't know how to proceed- when do they cut the strings? How do they spin their looms? The universe is aimless, and the spirit of Delphi must be reclaimed.
1. Chapter 1

For the millionth time, Nico cursed himself for ever agreeing to sit with Jason Grace. It was the weekend- which meant Jason had invited Percy, who was visiting from the city, to sit with them. The two were seated side by side, bickering loudly over last night's controversial capture the flag game. Nico tried to tune them out, his eyes scanning the horizon- they should be here any minute now. His fingers tapped rapidly on the rim of his plate.

Reyna, Rachel, Tyson, and Ella were expected to come back to Camp Half Blood this afternoon. It'd been nearly four months, but it'd evidently been a lengthy process trying to decipher the remnants of the Sibylline books. Sure, Nico had made the occasional visit, but he still missed his friends at Camp Jupiter. Reyna was probably the closest thing he had to a best friend- he was glad she'd be here soon, though worried as to why she'd made the trek. _I'll explain in person, _was all she would tell him via Iris Message, her eyebrows furrowed. Plus, he wished his sister Hazel would be in attendance, though he knew she and Frank would be plenty busy running the camp in Reyna's absence.

Out of nowhere, a huge grape smacked across his cheek. He snatched it, glaring at the boys across from him. Jason returned a mock-glare, popping another grape into his mouth. "Dude," he said, while chewing. "You need to chill. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah," Percy added. "Besides, it'll be cool to see Reyna again. I haven't seen her since…" he frowned. "Dang. I guess not since the war."

"Yeah, well," Nico muttered, still transfixed on the Big House. "I have a feeling this isn't a vacation." Just then, a black SUV pulled over the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Even from the pavilion, Nico could tell Reyna was at the wheel. He stood up abruptly, waving absently at the boys. Trying not to run, he stepped briskly between the tables, nodding at Piper, Annabeth, and other campers as he passed. He was just stepping off the marble when someone caught his arm. Rolling his eyes, he swung around, knowing who he'd find.

"Will, I seriously gotta go-"

"Are they here?" he asked, his blue eyes bright and clear. Nico nodded, suddenly very aware of Will's hand still on his elbow. He shrugged him off, walking backwards.

"See ya," Nico stuttered.

He turned clumsily and took off to the Big House. He didn't realize there was a small smile on his lips.

The past four months had been…_interesting. _After the Giant War, he finally felt like he'd made lasting bonds with his comrades, especially the Argo 2 crew. But it was really Will Solace who'd gone above and beyond to make him feel welcome. He must've remembered Nico's bitterness of his exclusion after the Titan War, because Will went totally out of his way- annoyingly so, sometimes- to ensure this time would be different. He introduced Nico to all of his friends (and he had a _lot), _asked for help at the infirmary (even though there really weren't any patients these days), and sometimes even sat with him at the campfire, or at meals.

Besides, it was easier to be with Will, somehow. Maybe it was because he knew what had really happened with Octavian, and the explosion that had killed Leo Valdez. Sometimes, when Nico was with Jason, Piper, or even Percy and Annabeth- he felt crushed with guilt, suffocated with it. He struggled with it every day, as he saw his friends' insistent faces scanning the horizon, or organizing scouting missions. _Had he killed Leo? _Leo had definitely _died, _that was for sure. But there was a weird tingle that accompanied the sensation- something not quite right. Despite it, Nico felt gravely certain of one thing- his friends would never see him again. Not in life, at least.

He shoved the dark thoughts aside as he clambered up the steps to the front porch. The door was cracked open, and he heard Chiron greet the 'prophecy crew', as Reyna liked to say. Nico tentatively entered the foray, knocking lightly. They turned as he entered, the light from outside slicing through the doorway.

"Hello, my boy," Chiron said. Rachel waved, smiling, though she looked distracted. Tyson and Ella were already heading out the back door, off to go see Percy, Nico assumed. Reyna didn't smile, but embraced Nico briefly, before studying him. She sighed, shaking her head,

"And you've grown even _more _since I saw you last."

"I'll be taller than you soon," He taunted.

"Never." her mouth tugged upwards.

"How's Hazel?" he asked immediately.

"Just fine. I swear, that girl will overthrow me soon enough."

Chiron cleared his throat. "Now, the matter we discussed?" Reyna and Rachel exchanged meaningful glances. Nico's stomach felt queasy. Chiron led them to the living room, where they sat in the comfortable chairs in front of the crackling fireplace. Nico didn't know if this discussion was meant to include him, but no one objected as he sat down.

Chiron turned to him, regarded him coolly. "Nico," he began. "Have you noticed anything odd at camp?" Nico frowned, considering. With Gaea gone, and the Oracle stolen, there wasn't necessarily anything _odd- _there wasn't really anything at all. Nico shook his head, shrugging.

"The spirit of Delphi has been taken, as we all know," Rachel said. "And at first, to be honest, I thought it would be a blessing. No more quests, no more wars."

"Well, none that are foretold." Reyna interrupted.

Rachel sighed. "I suppose. But as we have seen, it looks like without the spirit, the Fates themselves are distraught. Aimless. They don't know how to spin their looms anymore, when to cut the strings."

"And the gods have no way of knowing how to act. It's capable of becoming a dangerous…" Reyna paused, considering her word choice. "_Situation._ The Oracle is both a blessing and a devastating curse, but it must be returned."

Nico blinked. What were they saying? After four months of blissful peace, now they were supposed to go bring all those prophecies back? Reyna sensed his discomfort.

"None of us are eager to see more danger. But without it, the universe is quite literally going nowhere. Do you understand why this is necessary?" Nico sat up straighter, aware of all the eyes on him.

"Why are you asking me?"

Rachel looked down at her hands. She heaved another sigh. "We've been examining the remnants of Rome's ancient Sibylline books. It has all the prophecies that ever were, or will be. But as you know, much of it was burned long ago." she faltered. "We don't know if it is complete, but we, ah…we found something that we believe applies to this situation." That word again. _Situation. _ Nico's stomach pooled with dread. _Please not another quest. _ "Ella offered the first stanza. In fact, that's practically all she's been repeating these months. But then, in the books, we found another stanza that seems to fit with it. I'm not sure if it's complete, but it goes like this:

_The fall of the sun, the final verse_

_Is redeemed through Apollo's curse_

_For four the wrath will be endured_

_Through Death the Fates are cured"_

Rachel paused, avoiding Nico's eyes. It was strange to hear Rachel recite a prophecy not as the Oracle.

"I'm still not seeing how this connects to me," Nico said. Reyna smiled grimly. "The 'Death' is capitalized."

Nico frowned, the implication crystallizing. "You think I'm 'Death'?"

"It seems to be the only logical explanation, as the only child of Hades besides your sister. No offense to Hazel, but we both know you are the most powerful. This is a pressing matter. If we had more time to ponder it, perhaps we might find a different interpretation. But, yes- we believe you are Death."

_I am Death. _Nico thought bitterly, staring numbly at the flames licking the fireplace. Flames, just like the ones that had slain Leo. He swallowed roughly, tearing his eyes away from the fire.

"The spirit of Delphi is trapped in its home, at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece. The monster Python has taken it, and guards it. He is Apollo's worst enemy, but after what we have seen this past year, I don't think it's anything you can't handle. It should be a quick quest- maybe a week or so. Are you in?" Reyna's tone was gentle but firm. It wasn't really a question.

Nico raked his hands through his hair. "So the fate of the universe depends on this?" he asked drily. Reyna smirked, but didn't argue. "Fine."

Rachel smiled slightly. "Thank you, Nico. Believe me, the last thing we wanted to do was send you on another quest, not after all you've been through. But…as you said, the fate of the universe does depend on it. No pressure."

"No pressure." Nico repeated.

"So, a few logistics," Chiron said. "'_For four'. _ Usually you are only permitted two companions, but this is an exception. You may take three."

"All right," Nico mused. "Well, Rachel- you're the host, shouldn't you come?"

"Absolutely not," Reyna interjected, her voice loud. "She is a mortal. I will not allow you to take her."

Nico raised his eyebrows, holding up his hands defensively. Rachel was silent. "Okay, then. But small problem- she's the host. How am I supposed to get the spirit from Delphi back to Long Island?"

"With this," Rachel murmured, reaching behind her neck and unclasping a necklace. It was one she'd always worn, though Nico had never bothered asking why. "This is one of the Oracle's amulets. It doesn't have any power of its own, really, but it does have the strength to contain the spirit for transport…for a limited amount of time. The spirit is just like a green vapor. But if you hold this to it, and surround it with the spirit, it should know to enter."

"Should?" Nico muttered. Rachel pressed the necklace into Nico's hand. It looked ancient- the metal was carved with intricate designs, and the amulet was beautiful, but hollow. Rather than a gem, there was empty space- where the spirit would preside, he assumed.

"Anyways, so Rachel's out for questing companion. Reyna?" he asked hopefully. But she was already shaking her head.

"I am sorry, but after so long away from Camp Jupiter, I doubt it would look good for the praetor to leave yet again. And Frank's new to this, I must help him. Besides, there are plenty of worthy heroes right here. Why not Annabeth, Percy, Piper, Jason, or-" She stuttered to a stop. _Leo. _She cleared her throat. "You will have no trouble finding volunteers, I believe. But there is one line you must consider."

Rachel took over. "'_Is redeemed through Apollo's curse.' _Now, obviously, Apollo isn't going on this quest with you. He's still grounded." Nico almost laughed. An immortal god, grounded? "But, I can only assume Apollo's 'curse' means the tendency for his children to have- or had- the power of prophecy. It isn't even a hundredth as powerful as an Oracle, though it is something. The spirit will be attracted to Apollo's bloodline."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. She'd had enough Iris Messages with Nico to know where his thoughts were.

"You're going to need a child of Apollo," Rachel continued, not seeing the exchange between Nico and Reyna. "And a powerful one at that. Like, that head counselor. Will, right?"

Nico groaned. "He's a halfway decent fighter, but he's an amazing healer. A miracle worker. I mean, I guess." Reyna was definitely supressing laughter now.

"He's the one who healed Annabeth's poisoned dagger wound in the Battle of Manhattan, right?" Rachel asked.

"That's him." Rachel nodded, satisfied. "Yeah, I like him. He'll do. You can convince him, right?"

"Probably."

"And you can discuss with him who else the two companions should be."

Nico nodded, peering out the window above the couch. He could just see the infirmary from here. Already, his heart was pounding. And it wasn't for the long trek to Greece. It wasn't about the enormous snake monster waiting to bestow his 'wrath' on them or whatever. It was the idea of doing this with Will Solace.

He stood suddenly, nodding at Chiron, Rachel, and Reyna in turn. "You're welcome," he said suddenly. Reyna chuckled. "Thank you, son of Hades."

He grinned, despite the danger ahead. He had an even harder task to complete right now- how to ask Will to go with him on a quest to Greece, to fight his father's worst enemy, and get back a spirit that only brought doom- but without seeming like he was trying too hard.


	2. Chapter 2

The main green was quiet. After hearing Chiron's worries, Nico felt his insides twist as he made his way around the volleyball court. Something was definitely wrong. He'd had no idea that the Oracle was such a defining basis for this crazy, messed-up mythological world he lived in.

Nico passed by cabin after cabin, slowly feeling his heart rate pick up. The infirmary was at the end of the central 'U' of cabins, and despite its bright cheeriness, it loomed like a dark abyss to him. This was going to be mortifying- asking Will Solace to go with him on an overseas quest. His cheeks flared and he clenched his jaw, faltering at the doorway.

He'd spent more time than he'd like to admit here recently. Ever since his 'three days sentence' after the Giant War, Nico had grown to enjoy the infirmary more than he'd expected. In his free time, he'd help Will out with his 'very- important-life-saving doctor duties' that ranged from bandaging reckless Hermes kids after their rock-climbing sessions to rearranging the medical cabinet. Thrilling.

The door swung open. "Look who it is!" Will's voice was seriously loud. Nico rolled his eyes as he was ushered in, and his usual surgeon's shirt was thrown his way. Another one of Solace's aggravating qualities: he insisted that Nico wear a surgeon's shirt every single time he was in the infirmary. Even if they were just labeling medicine bottles. _It brings out the brown in your eyes, _he'd say when Nico protested. _That doesn't even make sense! _he'd always yell back. But by now, he'd learned not to argue. He faced the wall, quickly rolling off his camp shirt and wriggling into the tacky green fabric of his medical attire.

When he turned, Will suddenly jerked his head away, as if he'd been caught. "Uh. Right, sorry." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, glad you're here," he said, tossing Nico a clipboard. "We're taking inventory."

"Joy," Nico muttered, following Will to the nearest medicine cabinet. "But I actually came here to talk to you, not be your personal slave."

"A shame," Will mused, stopping to face Nico. "So…?"

Nico exhaled, setting the clipboard down on a lab table. "You know how Reyna and Rachel are here?"

Will nodded, sensing Nico's agitation. He sat down on a cot, his blue eyes unblinking. "What's wrong?"

Nico laughed bitterly. "There's a bit of a…_situation." _

"Oh?"

Nico proceeded to give the whole Oracle lecture. _The universe is aimless, blah blah blah, I have to go to Delphi and fight Python to get the spirit back, here's another foreboding prophecy, oh, and by the way- the spirit will be totally attracted to your blood. You in? _

Okay, so he hadn't worded it exactly like that. But when he finally finished, Will raised an eyebrow. "So you chose me?"

"What?!" Nico sputtered.

"To be Apollo's bloodline? Out of the whole _entire _cabin? Not Kayla, or Justin, or Pa-"

"Look, you don't have to do it, okay?" Nico cut him off. "Believe me, I don't want to go on some international expenditure with the likes of you-"

"And why not?"

"Because- because, you're not an experienced fighter, you're gonna give me a constant migraine with your so-called medical opinions-"

"I'll do it."

"And you'll never be able to deal with-"

"I _said, _I'll do it." Will was standing now, glaring at Nico with a sort of defiance.

"Fine."

"Perfect."

Nico scowled. "All right, Sunshine. What about the other two?"

Without hesitation, Will crossed his arms and said, "Lou Ellen and Cecil."

Nico blinked. He didn't know what else he'd expected. Those two had been Will's best friends for years. The past few months, they'd actually become pretty good friends with Nico too. He liked them just fine. Lou Ellen was magnificent with her magic and the Mist- not as good as Hazel, granted, but still incredible. And Cecil had a way with trickery that was sometimes annoying, but always impressive.

"Well, I guess…but are you sure they can handle this?" Nico asked. He wasn't keen with the idea of questing with three first-timers.

Will nodded, but then furrowed his eyebrows. He took a step closer to Nico, meeting his eyes.

"Can _you _handle this?"

Nico's breath caught. "What do you mean?"

Will bit his lip. "I mean, after everything…like, _two _wars, taking the freaking Athena Parthenos across the sea? And…you know…"

Nico shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I'll be fine." His voice was small.

Will stared at him. "What happened wasn't your fault, you know."

Nico dropped his gaze. "I guess. I mean, yeah, I know. Octavian had it coming. He was _insane. _I keep telling myself it would've happened anyways."

Will cleared his throat. Nico assumed the guy was just having a hard time talking about it. "Yeah, it sucks," Nico continued, still staring at the tiled floor. It was a relief to be able to talk to someone about it. "If only it hadn't been aimed right _there. _Hazel kept telling me Le- that he would've died anyways, but….sometimes I just don't know. Maybe I should've stopped Octavian."

Will cleared his throat again, much more forcefully. Nico glanced up. Will's eyes were fixed on a spot behind Nico's head. He looked completely horrified. Dread seeped down Nico's spine. Slowly, he pivoted around.

He hadn't even heard him enter. But there, five feet away, stood Jason, looking as if he'd just been slapped.

Nico's voice was panicky as he whispered, "How long have you-"

"Please," Jason's voice was thin. "Please tell me you weren't actually _there _when Octavian fired that onager."

Silence. Nico glanced back at Will, terrified. Will was staring at the ground, eyes shut tight.

"You were there?" Jason's voice shook- with rage, or grief- Nico couldn't tell. "No. Are you telling me…you _let _Octavian fire that onager? Right at…" He couldn't speak. Jason's eyes were wide with disbelief. "_No_…"

Nico couldn't find words. Couldn't find the words to scream at Jason, _NO! Please, believe me, I never meant for him to get hurt, I just wanted to end this stupid war, I didn't know, I didn't want to! _But he was frozen, in a sickening trance, as Jason, one of the people he cared most about, backed away from him, disgusted.

"Jason-" Will started.

"SHUT UP!" Jason shouted. He was angry now. He paced back and forth, as if his whole world had just been rearranged. Which, Nico realized, it had been. Jason was close to him now. Nico could hear his ragged, uneven breathing. He didn't dare meet his eyes.

"Did. You. _Let. _Octavian-" Jason took a breath, fuming. "Did you see where it was aimed?"

Nico stared down, fighting the urge to dissolve into shadow. "Did you?" Jason's voice was suddenly deadly calm.

Nico couldn't speak. Even if he could, he had nothing to say for himself. Jason made a weird sound- somewhere between a growl and a sob.

Nico risked a glance up. In a second, he was knocked flat to the ground. His face exploded with pain. Jason's fist had come from nowhere, and here it was again, and again and again. Nico could taste blood. He was pinned to the ground, Jason throwing punches with astonishing speed and power. Will was screaming at him to stop, trying desperately to wrench him off of Nico, to no avail. Jason was a son of Zeus, all muscle and brute.

Nico was silent. Jason was delirious. "_You killed my best friend!" _

Will screamed for help. Nico didn't fight back. He faltered on the edge of consciousness, and through his haze saw Piper bolting into the infirmary, her voice like titanium. The punches suddenly stopped, and Nico could see Jason above him, his hands bloody and face shining with tears. Piper ran to him, put her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. He looked at her, eyes brimming, "_He killed Leo." _Piper's jaw hung open, her eyes wide with shock. She stared down at Nico in confusion.

Will was frantic. "No, he _didn't! _Please, you have to believe me. He would never-"

Jason ignored him, staring down at Nico again. "Tell me one thing," his voice was glass. "Did you even know if me and Piper were still up there?"

Nico closed his eyes.

"Oh my- oh my _gods_," Jason was hysterical. Nico braced himself. But abruptly, Jason stood. Nico's eyelids fluttered open, and he saw his friend above him. No part of his mortal self was there. It was as if Jason's godly half had taken over, and all his divinity was in the glare turned towards him. Piper took the opportunity to gently guide Jason away from the infirmary, though she looked at Nico with suspicion.

The door clicked shut as they exited. Nico was on the ground, face bruised and bloodied. But it was nothing compared to the desolation and rejection flooding his veins. His guilt and frustration crashed together, and something inside him collapsed. _It was only a matter of time. _

His body wracked with horrible sobs- for Leo, for the loss of the only friends he'd ever had, and for his disappointment in his own self. They filled the infirmary, drowning out Will's useless words of comfort. He was running around the room, grabbing disinfectants and bandages.

"Hey," Will was suddenly there, beside him, dabbing at his face with a wet towel. "_Hey._"

Exhaustion kicked in, and Nico's sobs finally dissolved into hiccups. "He just misunderstood," Will tried. "He just..he'll understand."

Nico didn't respond.

"Can you sit up, sweetheart?" Even in his half dazed state, some part of Nico's mind went into overdrive. That was usually Will's ironic nickname for him- but there was nothing harsh in his tone. With effort, Nico used his elbows to haul himself into a sitting position.

Will was examining his bruises, his face mere inches from Nico's. "You got lucky," he said finally. "You won't need stitches, but you're gonna look like hell for the next few days."

Nico sniffled. "Look," Will said softly. "I'll talk to Lou Ellen and Cecil for you. Trust me, they'll be down to go. But let's wait a day or two before heading out, okay? You need to recover."

"Wait, what?" Nico found his voice again. "You still…you're still coming with me?"

Will blinked. "Duh. You need _'Apollo's curse' _or whatever, right? How could I _not _go?"

Nico hesitated. "Well- thanks. I think- I think you're my only friend right now."

Will half-smiled, nudging Nico in the shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, di Angelo. Jason just needs to process the news. I think he knows it wasn't your fault."

Nico groaned, his eyes stinging. "Right," he whispered bitterly. He tried to wipe at his eyes, but they were badly hurt. His whole face felt raw.

"Want me to pack your things?" Will offered. "Because you're staying here in the infirmary right til the second we leave, okay?"

Nico nodded absently, too tired to argue. Will stood, brushing off his hands. He glanced down at Nico, his expression pained. "It wasn't your fault." He left the room.

Once alone, Nico got up shakily, laying himself down on a bare cot. His whole body ached. Will was probably in the Hades cabin by now, filling a duffel bag with stupid camp shirts.

Nico hadn't been eager for this quest at first. But now, the idea of escaping camp even for a little while sounded tantalizing. He shut his eyes tight, trying to stop the images flooding his mind. The catapult fired again and again, and the sky was wreathed in flames.


	3. Chapter 3

Will, like always, went out of his way. _Way _out of his way. That night's dinner was delivered to Nico at the infirmary promptly at six o'clock, along with a duffel bag bursting with supplies and clothes for the quest ahead. Nico blushed a little as Will entered the room, gently setting down the tray of steaming food by his cot, and tossing the bag by the doorframe. Nico was almost grateful for his bruises- they concealed his red face.

He coughed awkwardly. "Yeah. Uh, thanks."

Will shrugged nonchalantly, plopping down on the cot next to his.

Nico blinked. "Don't you, uh, have dinner?"

"Already ate."

Silence. "Aren't you gonna eat?" Will prompted.

Nico rolled his eyes, making a big show out of taking a bite of the brisket.

"That was attractive," Will scoffed. "The welts really help."

"Ugh," Nico groaned, suddenly self-conscious. He tried to bury his head in his hands, but winced.

"You'll live…probably."

"Thanks, Doctor," Nico muttered. "Now, to business- did you talk to Lou Ellen and Cecil?"

Will's bright eyes lit up. "I most certainly did! They're in. Told you!"

"Just like that?" Nico asked warily.

"Just like that." Will replied with confidence. _Newbies, _Nico thought bitterly. If only they understood the hugeness of what lay ahead of them.

Will's steadfast demeanor faltered for a second, as if he sensed Nico's worry. "They're already packed. I talked with Reyna, told her what happened, and she said it'd be cool if we could leave tomorrow morning," he cleared his throat, his eyes flicking to Nico's anxiously. "It wasn't really a suggestion. She's…._really_ terrifying."

Nico smiled fondly. "I know she seems intimidating, but underneath that hostile, brooding, expression," he smirked. "She's even scarier."

Will gaped. "So, I take it you're down to leave tomorrow?"

Nico flexed his shoulders. Aside from his battered face, his injuries seemed to be mostly okay.

"Let's do it. And don't worry- I've got transportation covered."

"Oh, no. We are _not _shadow-traveling."

"Never said we were."

The next morning, Nico proudly introduced Will to Jules-Albert, their personal chauffeur to the airport. Will froze, his blue eyes frozen in shock.

"Nico," he whispered. "I don't mean to alarm you, but our driver is…dead."

"Yes, I'm aware," Nico replied breezily.

Will groaned inwardly, adopting a forced smile and a tiny wave to Jules.

Nico heard the other two questers before he saw them. He would have to have a _serious _discussion about stealth with these guys. Turning to meet them, Lou Ellen and Cecil collectively leaped backwards, shrieking.

"Oh, good _gods!" _Cecil yelped, staring in horror at Nico's face. "What _happened_ to you?"

"Welcome to the quest," Will announced grandly, diverting the subject. "Who's ready to see Greece?"

Cecil and Lou Ellen blinked at Nico, took in their zombie chauffeur, then finally looked back at Will, who was weakly giving jazz hands.

Nico sighed. "I call shotgun."

Fifty minutes later, Nico was ready to jump out of the moving car. Jules' black SUV cruised through the freezing Long Island winter. The trees were bare, blurring past in the window. And Cecil was chanting, "Road trip! Road trip!"

"Not actually," Nico called back. "We'll be at the Islip Airport in like, ten minutes. That's it. End of 'road trip'."

Cecil rolled his eyes mockingly, crossing his arms and falling back against his seat. His wild brown curls bounced with the motion.

All was silent for a blissful two seconds. Then, an unfamiliar sound- it was like a _click, _almost…

Nico whirled around, facing the back seat. "What-"

Lou Ellen had what he guessed was a cell phone out. She and Will were posing together, tongues out, arms around each other, with the screen towards them, taking a….what was that word? _Selfie. _

"Are you _kidding _me?" Nico exploded. "A _cell phone? _Did no one tell you about the dangers of the wireless network and demigods?"

"It's on airplane mode," Lou Ellen huffed. "Gods."

Will thrust the phone forwards, and that _click _went off again.

"Solace!" Nico shouted, madly swatting the phone away. "Did you just take a _picture _of me?"

"You're cute when you're mad," Will said quietly.

Nico fumed. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure I look _real_ cute right now."

Lou Ellen tilted her head to the side, studying Nico. Her choppy black hair was streaked with red dye this week.

"What did happen to…your face?"

Nico sighed, realization dawning. He was stuck with these idiots for the next week or two. No way would they let it go. He met Will's eyes, nodding slowly. A silent message- _you can tell them. _

Will raised his eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't like Nico to be so open…especially not with what had happened to Octavian and Leo. Hesitantly, he recounted the incident, careful not to paint Nico in a hostile role. Lou Ellen and Cecil were, for once, utterly silent, as Will finished with Jason's reaction to the news. Even Jules-Albert seemed to be moved by it, though it was hard to tell with a corpse.

Finally, Cecil exhaled. "Dang." That was his only comment.

Lou Ellen twisted a lock of hair in her fingers, looking at Nico quizzically. "I don't get it…why didn't you just tell Piper and Jason in the first place?"

Nico stared at her. He pointed at his bruised face like, _seriously? _

"Fair point," Lou Ellen admitted.

After an awkward few miles, Jules finally pulled into the Islip Airport- a quiet, dull building tucked into the Long Island treeline. The car stopped with a jolt at the drop-off line, and Nico's comrades started unloading. Nico sighed, glancing over at Jules.

"Thank you," he said finally, feeling a weird twinge of melancholy. He hoped this wasn't the last time he ever saw his French zombie chauffeur. "And if you see my dad, tell him…well, he knows."

Jules nodded in silent agreement. Nico stepped out of the vehicle, closing the door with finality. Jules sped off, as if he was back at the Monte Carlo races.

Before him stood a slightly unsettling trio. A wild haired, loud-mouthed son of Hermes, a mystical, punk-rock daughter of Hecate, and one incredibly annoying, aggravating, how-can-he-look-that-good-after-an-hour-long-drive son of Apollo.

They gripped their luggage, trying for brave smiles. This was probably their first time flying. Nico swallowed his unease, grabbing his bag from Will.

"All right, then," Nico said. "Will, get the tickets."

He shuffled with his backpack a little too long, but finally whipped out four white stubs.

"Got 'em!" He said triumphantly. He brought them closer, narrowing his eyes as he read. "Gate 3A, to Amfissa, Greece at 11:30am."

"All right, and what time is it now?"

Lou Ellen reached into her back pocket for her phone. The screen lit up her horrified face, and she whispered, "11:20."

Nico's stomach dropped. The four looked at one another, eyes wide with fear. _Ten minutes. _

"Okay…" Will started, his voice edgy. "Let's not panic, but we should-"

For once, the whole group was in agreement.

"RUN!"


	4. Chapter 4

The Islip Airport was relatively deserted, thank the gods. The four sprinted for all they were worth, stumbling over their luggage and careening down corners, hysterically shouting directions to Gate 3A.

"Left!" Lou Ellen hollered, her messy hair bouncing wildly. "Your _other _left, Cecil!"

Just when Nico started to believe they might actually make it on time, they were suddenly facing dull-eyed airport employees, complicated computer monitors, and an enormous stack of plastic tubs. Nico groaned. _Security. _

Will's eyes were wide with panic. "What the heck is this?"

Nico narrowed his eyes. "Have you not been on a plane before?"

He shrugged, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"It's called security," Cecil chimed in, his words rushing together. "And not to be a buzzkill, but we have eight minutes and several deadly weapons."

"I'll take care of it," Lou Ellen growled. She hefted her hands, as if she was carrying a bowling ball. Her gaze concentrated, and Nico knew better than to stand in her way. Soon, a sphere-like purple haze surrounded the group. Will blinked in awe.

"Lou, how are you-"

"Just _go!" _she shouted. "I don't know how long I can keep this up!"

The boys quickly obliged, and the four shuffled awkwardly in their magenta sphere. It wasn't easy, but they managed to make good time, and the best part- none of the guards seemed to be aware of their presence. They maneuvered around the final checkpoint, and Lou Ellen looked close to fainting. Once they were finally in the clear, the illusion shattered. She dropped to her knees momentarily, her chest heaving.

"Oh man," she moaned, holding her head.

"No time!" Nico shouted, ignoring Will's icy glare. The two boys helped her to her feet, and they took off on a weird sort of three-legged race. Cecil forged ahead, rapidly scanning the gate numbers. "1A, 2A.." he muttered, getting increasingly agitated. "3A!"

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Will rambled, sprinting towards the attendant closing the door. "We're here, we're here!"

The attendant looked at the four with a generally disturbed demeanor. "They're already in the final checking stage, I'm afraid we can't allow this."

"Please," Will begged, his eyes piercing and brow furrowed. "Please, this is _very_ important."

She blushed a little, considering Will. As far as Nico knew, Apollo kids had no charmspeak. Maybe she was just a kind employee. Maybe she sensed the desperation of the group. But with a weird flare in his chest, Nico realized Will's physique had probably been an incentive- his height, the broadness of his shoulders, and the way his shirt stretched slightly over his muscled chest- the golden hair, and features carved of marble. It definitely wasn't the first time other girls had payed attention to Will's looks- even if he was only sixteen, and this woman was obviously twenty or so- but it made Nico uncomfortable. Because _he _was paying attention to Will's looks too, even if he didn't want to. Nico was so frustrated, he almost didn't notice that the door had already been opened. The attendant quickly ushered them down the gate to the plane, smiling at Will.

As they hurried down the gate, Will glanced back at the group, huffing a relieved sigh. "We made it, guys!"

"Yeah," Nico muttered.

Will flashed him a concerned look, but Nico pushed ahead, gripping his ticket so tightly it almost ripped.

He followed the flight attendant's directions to his seat, and plopped himself down, staring out the window.

"I call the middle!" he heard Will shout further down the aisle. Nico sighed. This was going to be a long flight.

Thankfully, most international flights these days had televisions on the backs of every seat. Eight hours in, Nico was trying to stay interested in some documentary on penguins. On the aisle seat, Cecil was guffawing over some stupid Will Ferrell comedy. Other passengers would glance back occasionally, annoyed. Nico pretended they weren't in the same group. In the aisle across from them, Lou Ellen was sound asleep, her head leaned back.

And right next to him, Will was dozing. The cheesy rom-com he'd been watching was still playing. His breathing was soft and even. Nico tried really hard to keep focused on the fascinating world of penguin life.

In his sleep, Will shifted, pitching to the side slightly. His head ended up on Nico's shoulder. Immediately, Nico went tense as a board. What was he supposed to do? Shrug him off? He considered it, but didn't want to be that mean. Not after he'd agreed to go on this disaster of a quest, and be there throughout the whole Leo fiasco. Besides, his hair kind of smelled like pomegranates. Cecil glanced over, raising his eyebrows. Nico glared daggers, but he just smiled a little, returning to his movie.

Nico must have fallen asleep as well, because some time later he found himself jolting awake from another Tartarus nightmare. He tried to blink away the darkness. A pleasant voice was informing the plane that Amfissa was just about five minutes away. Their descent had begun. _

With stiff jet legs, the four hassled with their luggage and stumbled, bleary-eyed, off the plane. Nico glanced them over appreciatively. "You guys just survived your first flight!"

They stared dully at him.

"Okay," Nico said. "Guess we should find that hotel, then."

Rachel was the daughter of one of the richest men in the world, which had its obvious perks. She'd been able to book their flight and a hotel reservation at Kelari Studios without a hitch.

They stepped out of the tiny airport, into a town bursting with color. It wasn't particularly busy or crowded, but it seemed incredibly alive. Blooming bouganvilleas spilled over windows, and no two houses were the same color. In the taxi lane, Will used his trademark whistle to hail a cab. They piled in, and attempted to converse with the driver, who evidently knew little English. But he seemed to understand, "Kelari Studios."

Or at least, Nico hoped he did, because they was driving somewhere.

After about twenty minutes, they pulled up to a pale yellow villa overflowing with bright red flowers and thick trees. In the distance, mountains reached upwards.

Cecil whistled. Lou Ellen nodded in silent agreement. Will payed the driver with some of the euros they'd brought. He joined the rest of the group, swiveling to take in the whole panoramic masterpiece. The sun seemed drawn to him, and he grinned, closing his eyes to the light. Nico bit his lip, trying not to stare. But somehow, watching Will discover this place was ten times more beautiful than Amfissa could ever be.

Within a half hour, they were checked in and settled into a very pink room- with two beds. The four stared at the situation.

"All right," Lou Ellen started. "Well, you know what? I'm just gonna take this one." She flung herself onto the covers of the bed near the window.

"Sorry bro, but you kick in your sleep," Cecil explained to Will, laying down beside Lou Ellen. He noticed Nico's horrified expression. "Oh, don't worry- I'm asexual. I'm not making a move on Lou here, or anything. I really could care less about any of that crap."

"Must be nice," Will murmured under his breath. Nico wondered what he meant.

Cecil frowned, staring at Nico. "Is that…cool?"

Nico exhaled, glancing quickly at Will, then to the ground, to the window, anywhere. Obviously, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and Jason knew he was gay. Will had even found out that Nico'd had a crush on Percy- but never confronted him about it. The subject just hadn't come up with Lou Ellen or Cecil, though it'd been pretty hot camp gossip. He was pretty sure they knew, and Nico knew, deep down, that it wasn't even a big deal. None of his friends would care. It was just…something he had to get used to. He'd only come to terms with his own self half a year ago. How could he go from that to…

_Knock knock. _

Suddenly- blissfully- an interrupting knock resounded through the room. The questers looked at one another quizzically.

"Room service!" came a girly voice from the hallway.

"Did any of you order room service?" Lou Ellen whispered. The boys all shook their heads, confused.

Nico sensed something was off. He was going to warn the others, but Cecil was already up, casually approaching the door. _First-timer, _Nico thought bitterly. He opened his mouth to stop him, but the door was already swinging open.

And all Hades broke loose.


	5. Chapter 5

TWOP CHAPTER 5

"Get back!" Nico yelled automatically, throwing himself in front of the new questers.

Cecil shrieked, hiding himself behind Nico as two gorgeous women burst into their hotel room. They were beautiful, no doubt- they both had flowing hair dark as chocolate, and their skin looked smooth as cream- but they were aggressive, despite their winning smiles. Before Nico could reach him, they'd slammed Will against the wall, their arms pinning across his neck. They did it with so much force, the framed painting fell and shattered to the ground. Nico could hear Will's head smack against the wall, and darkness stirred deep within him. Will groaned, trying to force the women off of him, but they were too strong- inhumanly strong.

"I don't think so." Nico said calmly, pressing his Stygian sword against one of their throats. She glanced down at the blade, and he waited for her to retaliate. Instead, she slowly stared up through her lashes, biting her lip slightly. He narrowed his eyes. She sighed delicately, stepping away from Will, but her comrade still held him.

"Oh, come on now," her voice was too soft. "Don't worry, we won't give him all the attention." She trailed a single finger across Nico's chest, but her eyes were flickering red. Behind him, Lou Ellen choked.

"_Empousai!" _she exclaimed. "I remember you from Monsters 101!"

The woman before Nico stopped abruptly, sighing and shaking her head morosely. "Please, 'monster' is really quite an offensive term. I'd advise you to stay out of this, _girl, _and let us have the fun."

Silence. Nico raised an eyebrow, sizing up the empousai before him. She narrowed her eyes in what might have been a seductive way, but Nico just blinked. Faltering slightly, she switched tactics to Cecil, stalking towards him like a runway model. He gulped, trying to back even farther into the wall, and Nico could tell they were all starting to see these monsters in their true form. Weird glowing eyes, misshapen gait, and sharp teeth. The one cornering Will was evidently having some trouble as well.

After some very awkward attempts at seduction, the empousai glanced at each other in confusion. Lou Ellen finally heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Look. You literally chose _the worst possible _group of demigods to attack." She pointed at the boys in turn. "Gay. Ace," she faltered at Will. "I mean, he's your only hope, but even he's half-gay."

"_Half-gay? _Seriously?" Will rolled his eyes, trying to wriggle out of the empousai's grasp. "Nice try, I'm flattered- truly!" His eyes flicked to Nico's for just a second. He might have imagined it. "But I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

Heat rose to Nico's cheeks. Then something in the empousai shifted.

"Fine, then," the one who'd cornered Nico snarled. "We don't need to seduce you to kill you."

The air buzzed. Nico smelled a strange hint of metal. Before his eyes, the empousai completed their gruesome metamorphosis. Their true, horribly disgusting monstrous forms stood before them. Their fangs glistened, and talons grew. Cecil audibly gulped.

Nico sheathed his dagger. If he'd been alone, he would've been fine. Confident, even. He'd been through hell- literally. He was better friends with death than anyone he knew. _Just ask Leo, _he thought bitterly. But this was different. Nico had three comrades to protect. He wasn't sure if he could do that, all while killing two monsters.

But to his surprise, Lou Ellen was already closing her eyes, Mist curling at her feet. Will was reaching slowly for his bow. Even petrified Cecil was holding onto his dagger, though his hands were shaking wildly.

He smiled a little. These guys had potential.

"Sorry, ladies," Nico said. "But I'm afraid you came to the wrong hotel."

And with that, they descended upon the empousai. Nico took on the one closest to him, slashing downwards. She ducked out of the way quickly. He cursed, and an arrow whizzed past his ear. Nico glanced behind him, shocked. How had the other snuck up so fast? He nodded at Will in silent thanks, the empousai already dissolving into yellow dust. _Thank the gods the Doors are closed, _Nico thought. The other one was baring her talons, slowly stalking towards them.

"What are you waiting for? Over here!" Lou Ellen called, throwing a wall of Mist at the opposite side of the room, displaying an almost mirror image. The empousai hesitated, suddenly unsure of the real demigods.

Will whistled appreciatively. "I don't even want to _know _how you do that," he whispered. Nico elbowed him hard.

In her moment of indecision, Nico braced himself. He could probably manage a strike to the heart- provided she didn't rake him through with her talons first.

He glanced back at his friends. "Cover me?"

"Always." Will said dramatically.

Lou Ellen groaned. "Can you not do this now?"

Cecil nodded in disgusted agreement. "Just _go," _he hissed.

And with that, Nico took the initiative. He bolted towards the empousai, who whirled to face him. Her talons reached towards him, but Nico wasn't scared. He deflected them with his blade, then sidestepped again- but she was fast, too. Nico gritted his teeth, countering her.

"It's really quite hard to believe you won't fall for me," she coaxed.

"Not really," he muttered.

"Something must be wrong with you."

His chest tightened. "Nothing's wrong with me."

"I'm not just talking about why you aren't interested in me," she smirked. "I've heard all about you, Nico di Angelo. Do you know what we call you?"

He held his sword in front of him, daring her to come closer.

"_Murderer." _

The breath in his lungs left him. _No. _He staggered backwards, eyes wild.

An arrow embedded itself into her shoulder, but she just growled and kept moving forward.

Will was shouting at him to get a grip. The empousai kept coming closer. Something in his voice brought Nico back. At the last second, he lunged, taking her off guard.

He took a shaky breath, plunging the dagger into her torso.

"Maybe I am."

And she began to disintegrate. As she dissolved, she shrieked- not a good sign.

"That was a homing signal!" Cecil declared proudly. "In your _face, _Annabeth! I do learn things in class!"

Then his face dropped. "Wait. That was a homing signal."

He kicked his bag. "Come on! I really just wanted to take a nap."

"We need to get a move on," Lou Ellen muttered. "I can try to disguise our trail, but reinforcements will be arriving here in maybe ten minutes. We're in the middle of Greece, after all."

Nico was still frozen where he stood. Will walked over, gently touching his arm.

"Hey, you okay?"

Nico stared at him. Will nodded slightly, and Nico felt a wash of relief- he understood.

"Come on, crew," Nico finally announced. "Let's get a move on."

He hefted his duffel bag onto his shoulder. "Looks like we're taking the long way around."


	6. Chapter 6

"My dearest Lou Ellen," Will sighed dramatically. "If I don't make it out of this alive, I want you to tell my cabin…that they will survive. Their days will be bleak and hopeless, granted, but-" He paused for effect, his blue eyes catching the moonlight. "They _will _go on."

Nico inhaled through his nose, suppressing a scream. It'd been nearly three hours, by his estimate. Three hours of stumbling through the forests of Greece. At night. And he had to spend it with a moody Lou Ellen and a teetering-on the-edge-of-hysteria Will Solace- all led by Cecil, who was frowning and muttering, but still shouting words of encouragement sporadically. He claimed his father, Hermes, had bestowed him with the gift of travel. But as far as Nico could tell, he was just squinting at the map he'd taken from the hotel before they'd left, then glancing at the stars in exasperation- possibly looking for star positioning, or maybe just cursing the gods. Nico _really _wished Jules-Albert could appear internationally.

"You are completely ridiculous," Lou Ellen groaned. "And Cecil? How's it going up there, Hermes spawn?"

He garbled some incoherent reply, the map in his hands fluttering.

"Great," she grumbled. She turned to give Nico a sidelong glance, gently punching his arm. "How are you holding up, Nico?"

He shrugged, though secretly warmed at her concern.

"Well, your face seems to be healing pretty well!" She offered.

Will coughed. "Thanks to _my _healing, of course."

"Of course." Nico said, glancing over at him. The trees weren't that heavy with foliage- a stark contrast from Long Island. Through the branches, clear moonlight streamed brightly, catching his light hair and sky blue eyes. Nico nearly walked straight into a tree, but caught himself at just the right second.

Lou Ellen raised an eyebrow at him, but he cut her off with a glare.

After another mile or so, they came across a section of river- the moon was as prominent on the water as it was in the sky. A little ways further down, a waterfall tumbled over a pile of rocks. Nico observed his companions- Lou Ellen was blinking slowly, Will was trudging along, and Cecil's eyebrows were furrowed in frustration. He decided to call it a night- these guys had done a _lot _today. A full trans-Atlantic plane ride, an encounter with deadly empousai, and now a huge trek through unknown Greek territory.

"Hey," he said. "Guys, this is as good a place as any. We should get some rest."

_Because you'll all be 'enduring the wrath', _he thought bitterly. For the first time, his heart raced with fear for what lay ahead of them. It'd been bad enough facing the empousai with them- how was he supposed to protect his questers against _Python? _

They all nodded their silent agreement, though Lou Ellen had to physically wrench the map from Cecil's clenched hands. Nico dropped his duffel bag on the ground, then sat down in a heap, completely drained. Lou Ellen followed suit. Cecil shivered slightly. December wasn't nearly as bad here as it probably was back on Long Island, but still- Nico realized it was pretty brisk.

"I can probably start a fire," Cecil said. "I'm good with that sort of stuff, let me just get some wood or something-"

"Nah," Will said suddenly. "I'll get it, ok? You guys look tired. I'll be right back."

"Whoa, whoa-" Nico spoke up. "I don't think so, Solace. You can't just go out there!"

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm not going far. I know you guys _hate _to be away from me, but I'll stay where you can see me."

He laughed a little, turning and following the river, occasionally inspecting driftwood.

Cecil shrugged his shoulders, settling down next to Lou Ellen. The three of them unrolled their packs, setting up in a circle. Nico doled out some granola bars, and soon enough, they were enjoying a lovely meal.

No one said much- they were all wiped. But something about the silence felt _comfortable. _Nico had once heard someone say, _'True friendship is when silence feels the same as speaking.' _He glanced at Cecil and Lou Ellen, feeling both excited and terrified. He had…_friends. _But how long could he keep them? Cynically, he mused that if Python didn't kill them, they'd probably ditch him after hearing about his twisted past and secrets. But with a shock, he realized- they _did _know. Will had told them everything that had happened with Leo Valdez and Octavian, yet they were still here, sitting with him, looking at him for the lead.

His chest swelled, but he froze, terror-stricken, as he stared at their surroundings. Where was Will? _Oh my gods. _

"Uh, guys-" he started, panic lacing his voice. "Where's-" He caught a glimpse of blond hair at the side of the waterfall. He heaved a sigh of relief, surprised at how fast his heart had sped up.

"Nevermind," he breathed. "I'm, ah…I'll just go check on him, make sure he doesn't need any help."

Cecil and Lou Ellen exchanged glances. "Right." they said simultaneously.

Nico gave them a suspicious look, but stood and brushed himself off. He walked over to where Will was standing, still partially hid by the rocks and waterfall. Nico frowned. Will was speaking. His eyes were alight with emotion- he seemed to be explaining something. Nico stepped closer, but Will heard him. He turned to face him, smiling wide, but Nico could have sworn he'd seen something, like a white light, flicker and turn off behind him.

"Nico!" Will exclaimed, walking to meet him. He had a few pieces of wood stacked in his arms. "Help me find some more?"

Nico nodded, but asked suspiciously, "Who were you talking to?"

"Huh? Oh! Ha, just myself. I'm pretty tired, I guess." He added a laugh for good measure. Nico knew he was probably lying, but let the subject drop. He leaned down, picking up a fallen branch and handing it to Will.

"So, uh," Nico said, as they walked around the clearing. "We haven't really gotten a chance to talk about that whole '_Apollo's curse' _thing."

Will bit his lip. "Yeah. That thing."

They all knew the prophecy:

_The fall of the sun, the final verse_

_Is redeemed through Apollo's curse_

_For four the wrath will be endured_

_Through Death, the Fates are cured. _

"I mean, I don't really know what to say," Will muttered. He hefted another piece of wood into the stack in his arms. "I'm assuming it means 'curse' as in our heightened attraction to the spirit of Delphi. That could be useful when we get there. Maybe it'll lure it closer or something. Just hopefully not too close- Rachel's the only one blessed to possess the spirit. If it possesses anyone else…."

He trailed off, the implications clear. It would be devastating. He'd heard stories. Sometimes the spirit messed with your mind, like it had with Luke's mother. Other times, it could completely incinerate a mortal body.

"Anyways," Will continued, forcing a light tone. "I guess we'll find out once we get there, right?"

"You're going to do great," Nico said. He blinked, not sure where that'd come from. "I mean, you shouldn't stress…you've got this. I've never seen someone with so much healing power, and you've gotten way better with the bow-"

Nico let out a shaky breath. "Sorry. I'm kind of tired too, I guess."

Will was staring at him. It was the same stare he'd given him about four months ago, when he'd finally released Nico from his three-days sentence in the infirmary. He could still remember that day.

_"Just because you're not going to be here all day, don't think you can go back to whatever death, skull, skeleton-y things you used to do, you idiot. Because I promise you- I will be watching."_

_"Jeez, Sunshine. I'll miss you too."_

_"But you will come back here, right?"_

_Nico nodded casually. But inside, his stomach churned. He'd already been dreaming up excuses to come back here. _

_"Good," Will replied, pushing his hair off his forehead. "Because…I, uh," he faltered, looking as if he was making a decision. "I think Kayla might have a crush on you." _

_Will frowned weirdly, as if he'd disappointed himself. _

_"Really?" Nico asked, shaking his head. "Well, that's not gonna work." _

_Immediately, Nico cursed himself silently. Crap. _

_"Oh?" Will questioned, a perfect eyebrow raised. _

_Nico couldn't look at him. But he heard himself mutter, "Not really…my area." _

_Will didn't answer. When Nico finally dared to glance up, he was staring at him. It wasn't mean or anything. Just…different. Like he was seeing Nico in a new light. _

Right now, Will was giving Nico that same stare. Nico cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So, the fire?"

"Right," Will said finally. They trudged over to where Lou Ellen and Cecil. Lou was already curled up, passed out.

In silence, Will arranged the logs, then let Cecil take over with his mischievous nature knowledge. He already had a stick and a rock.

"No way is that going to work," Nico muttered. Will stared at him pointedly like, _wait. _Miraculously, a flame burst to life, casting an orange glow on Cecil's grinning face.

"That's not possible," Nico said in disbelief. But Cecil just dropped the flame onto the pile of logs, which slowly began to burn.

"You should think harder," Will said. "About what's possible, Nico." His eyes were fixed on his.

"That was deep, man," Cecil murmured.

Nico didn't drop Will's gaze.

Finally, Cecil yawned and collapsed back onto his sleeping pack. "Good night," he murmured.

"I'll take first watch," Nico said carefully, his heart still in overdrive.

"Wake me in an hour," Will demanded, lowering himself down and turning over.

Nico exhaled in relief. What had all _that _been_? _He swallowed hard, staring into the flames. After a few minutes, he realized- this was the first time he'd been able to look at _fire _since before the Giant War.

Nico relaxed slightly, leaning back on his arms. His three friends were all asleep, next to him.

Or at least he thought.

Will's voice spoke in the darkness, "You really think I can beat Python?"

"Of course."

"I've never even talked to my dad."

"Well," Nico paused, considering. "His loss. He'd be...really proud."

He waited for Will to reply, but his breathing turned slow and even. He was sleeping.

Nico bit his lip, staring into the warm flames. _Possibilities. _


	7. Chapter 7

"You didn't wake me up."

Nico blinked. It was sunrise. Pastel pinks and pale oranges painted the sky. Cecil and Lou Ellen were stirring, yawning and shuffling through their packs for more granola bars.

Will was leaning back on his elbows, glaring at Nico. His blue eyes were ice.

Nico cleared his throat. "Oh. Ah…oops."

"_Oops? _You absolute idiot. You haven't slept since the plane ride, and now we-"

"Enough!" Lou Ellen moaned, covering her ears. Will gritted his teeth, but stayed silent.

Nico wasn't really worried. He was the son of Hades, and he didn't need sleep as much as he used to. Just sitting for a few hours had been enough rest. Besides, no amount of sleep was worth the nightmares he knew were lurking. They'd been bad enough at Camp Half Blood, but out here in the ancient lands, where the gods and monsters first walked- his fears were steadily growing out of control. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the sky exploding like a supernova, or the blinding darkness of Tartarus.

The four of them had their hearty breakfast of water bottles and stale granola bars in silence. Cecil's eyes darted between Will and Nico, probably sensing the heightened tension between them that Nico was extremely aware of. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground. They'd gotten close to _something _last night. But Nico had absolutely no idea what that 'something' was, much less how to go on normally.

He reached into his pocket, bringing out the Oracle's amulet Rachel had given him. It seemed like so long ago that she'd placed in into his hands, Reyna solemnly looking on. It was tied securely to his belt loop, but he still felt nervous about losing it.

"Is that it?" Lou Ellen asked seriously, nodding at the old chain and empty jewel.

"Yeah," Nico said, addressing his whole group. "This is it, guys. Like I told you, the spirit knows that this is the Oracle's amulet, so it will be attracted to it. If it's surrounded by the spirit, supposedly, it'll know to enter. We need to keep track of this, and once we enter Delphi, I'll give it to Will."

"Me?" Will was staring at the amulet with wide eyes.

"Like it or not, you've got '_Apollo's curse'. _You're our best shot. The spirit knows to come to you."

_Just hopefully not _too _close, _Nico added silently.

"Curse?" Cecil asked nervously. "What do you mean?"

Will bit his lip, eyebrows furrowed. "All children of Apollo can- well, _used _to, be able to sort of sense the future. Not really visions or anything, just…feelings. Very vague. It's hard to explain, it's just kind of like an extremely watered down version of the Oracle, since our father is in charge of it. Nico here seems to believe my blood will attract the spirit or something."

Nico raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm doing the best I can here. Prophecies kind of suck, in case you haven't noticed."

"And here we are," Lou Ellen said bitterly. "Trying to save them."

In his head, Nico repeated the line that scared him the most. _Through Death the Fates are cured. _The 'Death' was capitalized, so it must refer to him. It _had _to refer to him. The alternative was unthinkable. No one on this quest was going to die. He shoved the amulet back into his pocket, then glanced around at his fellow questers.

"Well, Cecil?" Nico handed him the raggedy hotel map. "It's time to get a move on. After you."

"We're getting close!" Cecil exclaimed eagerly. They'd make excellent progress all morning. Not a single monster had approached them, though Nico could sense several nearby. According to Cecil, they should be able to reach Delphi, the ruins of Apollo's sacred city, sometime tomorrow morning.

They'd definitely earned a lunch break.

The crew has halfway into another balanced meal of granola bars and chips when Nico felt something was wrong. Cecil and Lou Ellen were chatting animatedly, but Will's eyes were terror stricken. He was sitting rigidly, as if someone was whispering to him from behind.

"…Will?" Nico asked cautiously, his hand drifting to his sword. He scanned the forests surrounding them, but saw nothing. Will's eyes were following something that wasn't there. "What is it?"

He made a small sound, like a whimper. "Please," he managed. "Please tell me you're seeing this, too."

Lou Ellen and Cecil were dead silent now. Their eyes were wide as they swiveled around, but nothing was there. Nico frowned.

"Will," Lou Ellen whispered urgently. "There's nothing here."

"No. _No. _It's here." Will choked. He stood jerkily, his eyes wild. He reached behind him to grab his bow, but Nico leapt up to his feet and grabbed his wrist.

"Will."

He was still staring behind Nico, transfixed.

"_William." _

That got his attention. Slowly, his eyes drifted to Nico's.

"Nico, it's talking to me."

"Who is?" he asked calmly, though his stomach was starting to churn. He was still clutching Will's wrist, and he could feel his pulse beat like machine gun fire.

"Python." he whispered.

"What?" Cecil shrieked, lurching closer to Lou Ellen. "But I don't see anything!"

Nico's mind was racing. He got close to Will, and made him look in his eyes. "Tell me what you're seeing."

"There's…" he swallowed hard. "This green mist everywhere. I- I think it's going away now. It was telling me that it knew I was coming. That I better stay away." Will gasped, shaking his head. "Nico, what's happening to me?"

Nico gripped Will's wrist. "Is it gone?"

He nodded quickly.

"Okay. It's okay. I guess he just appeared to you. Don't worry-"

"_Don't worry?!" _Will shouted. He was definitely coming back to normal. "Gods of Olympus, I just had a freaking hallucination or something-"

"All right," Nico hissed quietly. "Come with me before you make a scene."

He muttered apologies to a very confused Cecil and Lou Ellen, dragging Will out of earshot.

They walked until they were alone in a small clearing. The canopy of trees had parted ways for a small patch of bright sunlight. Nico stopped there, figuring it might make Will feel better. He sat down on the soft grass, dragging Will down with him. They sat next to each other, Will still breathing rapidly.

"Nico, I swear I'm not crazy."

"Oh, you're crazy," he glanced sidelong at Will. "But I believe you. Things like this happen too often on quests. What did Python say to you?"

Will shook his head slightly, letting out a shaky breath. "Just what I told you. He knows we're coming. He told me not to. And that if I did, he'd make sure the 'curse of Apollo' was my final stand."

Nico's heart was pounding. He'd faced all types of monsters. But Python was something else- he was able to manipulate his appearances to others. He was in control of who saw him. He had full control of the Oracle's spirit. And worst of all, he was deadset on destroying Will. Nico grit his teeth.

"I won't- I mean, we won't let him hurt you."

Will took a few deep breaths. They sat in silence for a long while, but it wasn't awkward. After what seemed like an eternity, Will finally spoke up.

"A sunrise is a promise, and a sunset is a reward." He recited, closing his eyes to the sun.

Nico wrinkled his nose. "Who said that?"

Will looked offended. "_I _did, thank you very much." He nudged Nico in the shoulder.

"Well," Nico hoped he wasn't blushing. "You're better at poetry than your father, I'll give you that."

Will laughed a little, but his eyes were sad. "It's funny. I keep forgetting that you've actually met him."

"He's…." Nico blinked, unsure of how to describe the god. "_Something, _all right. You know, he was actually the one who first brought me to Camp Half Blood."

"I remember."

Nico's stomach dropped. "You…remember? Wait- you were there?"

Will shrugged slightly. "I didn't even know Apollo was my father at the time. I was pretty new at camp, I'd only just arrived the last summer. But…yeah. I remember."

He smiled a little, staring at Nico as if he was an old photograph. "There was this huge crash in the lake. I remember running out of my cabin, seeing this _bus _in the water…it was crazy."

"Believe me, I know."

"And there was Percy, Thalia, a bunch of Hunters, and…this scrawny little boy with dark hair and a huge grin on his face the whole entire time."

"Oh my gods..." Nico trailed off in disbelief. He knew Will had been at camp for a while, but he hadn't really gotten to know him since just four months ago. Looking back on it, he must've been crazy. He suddenly remembered all those times after the Titan War, when he'd just wave casually at him, like 'Hey!'. Nico thought he was just kidding.

Will's face turned thoughtful. "I miss that grin. You had it all that winter…then-"

"I grew up," Nico snapped. He sighed, trying to shake the anger away. It'd been nearly four years ago, but the loss of Bianca was still a sharp pain.

"I'm sorry," Will whispered, and there was nothing superficial to it. His hand brushed his for a second. Maybe Nico had just imagined it.

"So, what else do you remember?" Nico asked, suddenly dying to know what else he had been oblivious to. If only he'd realized this…maybe he and Will could've become friends sooner. Maybe Nico wouldn't have had to feel so alone. Or go through hell on his own.

Will laughed a little, moving slightly closer to Nico. "I like this game. Let's see…" His eyes lit up. "Oh! The Titan War."

"The Titan War?" Nico frowned. Then he smacked himself across the forehead. How could he have forgotten?

"Oh yeah!" Nico exclaimed, surprised to hear himself laughing.

"You were completely an idiot," Will reminisced. "You thought it'd be a great idea to charge into the worst of Kronos' forces. I swore you were gonna die. I was head medic, as you know. I was supposed to be taking care of all these wounded campers, but I couldn't quite stop watching you fight. You were…what, twelve?"

Nico nodded.

"You were incredible," Will said, his voice soft. "_Amazing. _Unstoppable."

"Well. Obviously," Nico smirked.

"Ha. Well, after _that _whole battle, I had to ask Kayla specifically to switch with me, so I could heal you."

Nico's heart was gone to the races. He remembered their brief encounter, all those years ago. Nico had just fought what he had thought would be the hardest battle of his life. Finally, his father had forced him to take a break, steering him to the Apollo Cabin's makeshift medical tent to stitch up the gashes he'd earned.

That was the first time he'd ever exchanged words with Will.

_"Whoa, there. Sit yourself down right now."_

_"Um, excuse me?" _

_"You heard me." Will demanded. Nico frowned, but obliged the annoying medic. He plopped down on one of the wobbly cots, yanking off his black armored helmet and breastplate. _

_"Can we hurry this up?" Nico asked impatiently, eyeing the heat of the battle. Annabeth, Clarisse, and Percy were in the thick of it, slashing and cutting for all they were worth. Percy. _

_"I'll take as much time as I need, got it?" Will snapped, shuffling around with bandages. His face was streaked with blood and grime. With a pang of guilt, Nico realized he'd probably been dealing with horribly hurt campers all day. Campers who maybe hadn't made it. _

_"Whatever," Nico mumbled. He stayed very still as Will carefully applied disinfectant across the cuts on his biceps. He winced. Slowly, Will reached up to smear it across a cut just beneath his eye. His touch was so warm. _

_In the distance, Nico could hear Percy yelling defiantly. His heart lurched. He had to go. He had to be with him._

_"Listen," Nico said abruptly, standing up. Will's blue eyes glared up at him. "I seriously need to go." _

_And he was off, without a second thought. _

Now, two years later, Nico would give anything to feel the heat of Will's hands against him. How _stupid _could he have been? Pining over some ridiculous demigod who was so _obviously _in love with Annabeth? Had he pushed Will away?

"I was a first class jerk," Nico muttered quietly.

"Hey," Will said. "Heat of battle. I wasn't very nice either."

They stared at each other for a minute, incredulous at how long they'd gone without…_this. _Whatever this was.

Before he knew what was happening, Will leaned in, lightly kissing Nico's cheek. His lips were so warm. Nico's blush was instantaneous. He'd never felt anything so…he didn't have words to describe it.

Will's face was bright, but he shrugged casually, standing up. "An apology. For how I spoke to you that day."

"I should be the one apologizing-"

"Then apologize." Will said it like a dare.

Nico inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry." he managed.

Will nodded once. He cleared his throat. "We should be getting back to Lou Ellen and Cecil."

"Yeah," Nico said, too quickly. He stood, and they walked silently side by side to where their friends were waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

"We could sing a song to pass the time," Will suggested. Nico shoved him hard, and he staggered slightly, still grinning.

"_No," _Lou Ellen begged. "It's bad enough Cecil's doing the weird army thing."

Fifteen feet ahead, Cecil was aimlessly chanting, "Left. Right. Left. Right. Left," all while hunched over his map. He stumbled every few yards over rocks or stumps, but his eyes never left the paper. So much for a 'divinely gifted traveler'.

Still, Nico felt a weird twinge of melancholy. From Cecil's strange habits, to how Lou Ellen rolled her eyes but laughed anyways, and Will's crazy way of making everything okay, he realized he'd actually _enjoyed _this quest so far. But he knew they were close to the end. Delphi was almost within their sights- everything was happening way too fast.

The sun's color was turning gold on the tree leaves. Dusk was approaching, and with it, the final battle. When the sun came back up, it would be time to end this quest- one way or another.

If only Python had singled out _him, _not Will. It made Nico edgy. He was trying to laugh at some snide comment Lou had made, but he was constantly scanning the forests as they trekked along, always on alert. He hoped they were going in the right direction. It definitely seemed like it- Nico could _sense _more activity here. It must be Python, coiled around the ancient ruins of Apollo's most sacred city, carefully scheming how to protect his kidnapped spirit and destroy the demigods coming to steal it back. A wave of nausea rolled over him. He had to do something.

He quickened his pace until he was beside Cecil, who gave no sign to acknowledge his presence.

"Uh," Nico cleared his throat awkwardly. "Are we still supposed to arrive by tomorrow morning?"

"Hmm?" Cecil's eyes left the map fleetingly. "Oh, yeah. I think so."

"Cool."

"Yep. In fact, we should be reaching the outskirts right about-"

"Guys!" Lou Ellen's voice was sharp. The two boys whipped around.

At first, Nico didn't see the problem. Will and Lou Ellen were about fifty feet behind them, but their eyes were wide with alarm. Nico glanced at Cecil, who was staring in horror at the ground between them and the others.

"When did that get there?" Nico demanded, mad at himself for not noticing. A few yards behind them, a burning barrier of Greek fire, no more than a few inches tall, was flaming a hideously bright green. An acrid smell filled the air, and Nico could hear the sparks crackling viciously.

"Well, it's not like you walked over it!" Will hollered from behind the fiery boundary. "It just showed up after you guys passed it!"

Lou Ellen was nodding vigorously, the green reflecting off her dark eyes.

Nico and Cecil exchanged worried glances.

"The outskirts of Delphi," Cecil muttered, running a hand through his brown curls. "This might be the border."

Nico took a calming breath. "Okay. All right, so we just jump it. It's not tall."

They jogged towards the line of Greek fire, but it suddenly leaped skywards, shooting up ten feet. Nico and Cecil staggered backwards, wincing from the heat. Green flames were everywhere, sparking erratically.

Nico cursed. He could faintly hear Lou Ellen and Will screaming from behind the inferno, but the blaze was too thick to see through, and too scorching to approach.

At first, Nico thought the fire was spreading towards them. But with a jolt, he realized the green substance was part of Python's essence. A horrible hissing sound resonated through his skull.

_This wasn't supposed to happen, _Nico thought frantically. They were going to fight him _together, _tomorrow morning. But another part of him realized- he had the amulet. Maybe he could end this- right here, right now. Will wouldn't have to get hurt. None of his friends would.

But as the mist seeped closer, Nico glanced at Cecil's face. If he hadn't looked, he might have taken on Python alone. But Cecil was new at this, and he was tearing up from the billowing smoke and the enormous fear of this terrible monster. Nico's resolve shattered. He couldn't do it. This was only a _part_ of Python- his real self was awaiting at the central shrine in the city. He had to wait for all four of them. They'd started this together, and they would see it through together.

But that didn't change the fact that Nico was stuck between a wall of sweltering explosive fire and an intoxicatingly dangerous force quickly approaching him. Nico quickly scanned his surroundings. No way out. Cecil stared at him, petrified.

Nico swallowed hard. He couldn't let Cecil die- not like this. He would have to do something he'd sworn to never undertake again. But there was no time to hesitate.

Nico threw him arms around Cecil, shutting his eyes tight, and willed them into the shadows of the fading daylight.

The darkness was strangely satisfying at first. He hadn't done this since his quest with Reyna all those months ago, and to be so completely engulfed in his element was intoxicating.

Too quickly, it became a sensation he could no longer control. Everything turned black, and the wind screamed at his ears. He was back in hell. He was watching Octavian fire the onager. He was annihilating Bryce Lawrence. He was summoning skeleton warriors to destroy everyone who spited him.

All of this happened in one terrifying instant. But he was still clutching onto Cecil, and some part of him held on tighter. This wasn't about Nico- this was about his friends. He focused on anything but the darkness- Reyna hugging him close, his new spot at the 'Big Three' table, and how Will had given him one kiss on his cheek- an apology for the rocky road they'd taken to becoming friends.

The rush faded. Nico blinked slowly, the light blinding. He exhaled slowly, nearly fainting from fatigue. He grasped Cecil's shoulders, making sure he was okay.

Cecil took a few steps back, looking at Nico with bewilderment.

"You-"

"I know," Nico muttered, sinking onto the ground with exhaustion.

"That was-"

"I'm sorr-"

"_Awesome!" _

Nico sighed, shaking his head. He tried to take note of where they were. Lou Ellen and Will were nowhere in sight, but the woods looked somewhat familiar. He glanced at Cecil warily.

"Still got that map?"

"So," Cecil said.

Nico frowned. They'd been navigating their way back to the ruins for nearly thirty minutes. Cecil had been scouring the map in silence the whole time. Now this?

"Yeah?" Nico asked slowly. It was enough effort just to put one foot in front of the other. The shadow traveling had seriously wiped him out, and he didn't like the tone Cecil had used. He had a very bad feeling about where this conversation was heading.

"Will?"

"Will…what?" Nico tried to seem casual. It didn't work. Cecil smirked slightly, glancing at Nico knowingly.

"Oh, nothing," he sang.

Nico gritted his teeth. He didn't care. He stayed quiet for a full two seconds, then:

"Tell me."

Cecil blinked. "Oh, there was actually nothing. I just wanted to see what you'd do." He grinned mischievously. "Lou owes me five bucks."

"Wait, you're _betting _on me now?" Nico groaned. "Gods of Olympus, just let it go! We're friends. Got it? _Friends." _

It sounded weird for Nico to say. At first, he thought it was because he wasn't used to _having _friends. But for a second, Nico wondered if it was maybe because of something else.

"Are you sure he didn't say anything?" Nico heard himself ask. He slapped himself.

Cecil shrugged. "He doesn't need to."

He was about to ask what he meant, but then he was tackled in a hug.

"Oh my gods!" Lou Ellen shrieked. Nico smiled a little- he liked reunions.

Will was standing behind her, rolling his eyes at the two boys. Nico could tell he was relieved.

"We were looking _everywhere," _Lou rushed, quickly embracing Cecil. "The fire went out, and you guys were just _gone!"_

"Yeah," Nico winced. "About that-"

"Oh, no." Will interrupted. "Oh, _Hades, _no. Do not tell me that you _shadow traveled."_

"It was pretty cool," Cecil admitted.

Will took a step closer to Nico, gesturing wildly. "No- not _cool! _I told you a million times that you can't ever do that again! And what do you do? You just go and waste four months and _relapse _with-"

Nico gave the time-out signal. "It was either that or get engulfed by Greek fire or attacked by a vicious serpent. Besides, I'm fine."

But even as he said it, he felt his knees trembling.

Will sighed shakily. "That's it. Sit down, we're staying here for the night."

Cecil glanced at the map. "Are you sure? We're really close to the border-"

"So it's less distance to travel in the morning." Will cut him off.

Cecil frowned, but didn't argue. Lou Ellen shrugged her backpack off, settling down on the fallen leaves. Nico tried to sit down smoothly, but his knees buckled. His breath was coming slowly. Will was handing him a water bottle and some food…but he couldn't even make out what anyone was saying. He choked down a granola bar and managed a few sips. His heart rate calmed down a little, but he still couldn't see straight.

"You should sleep," Lou Ellen murmured, her eyes worried. A jolt of panic ran through his veins. He shook his head vigorously.

"No, ple-"

"You'll sleep." Will demanded, his voice almost angry.

Nico couldn't say he wasn't tired. He hadn't felt this out of it since he'd decimated Bryce Lawrence.

He didn't want to admit the real reason, especially not to Will. How could they see him as a hero when he couldn't even get through one stupid night without a bad dream? Why had so many things gone wrong? Tartarus was horrible enough. Now with his conscience thrown into a meat grinder, he could see Octavian, Bryce, and Leo- _especially _Leo- coming back to haunt him.

But his friends were staring at him. His vision was fading. Nico knew he couldn't fight it. He swallowed his dread, slowly collapsing to the ground, and slipping into dreams.

He still didn't understand why he could feel heat in his dreams.

Like always, it was fire first. Leaping and entrancing, it enveloped him, choking him with smoke and searing him with heat. A silhouette stalked towards him, a lean boy unbothered by the suffocating flames.

_Leo. _Nico closed his eyes tight. He could control dreams. He could _control dreams. _He had to find a way out. Leo wasn't here. Nico shut his eyes tight, a scream escaping his lips.

The scene shifted. There was daylight. Blue skies and white clouds glittered brightly in the sun. Nico heaved a sigh of relief, his hands on his knees.

But as he registered where he was, his heart sank. He was standing alone outside the dining pavilion at Camp Half Blood. Beneath his feet, a sharp gash from where he'd first summoned the dead stood out darkly from the polished white marble. Nico made himself enter the pavilion. He walked up to his usual table, where Jason and Percy were laughing good-naturedly.

Nico was standing right there. Why didn't they see him?

He swallowed nervously, walking on. He tried to wave at Piper, but she offered no recognition. He called out to Annabeth, and she didn't seem to hear. Will was strolling towards the buffet. Nico ran up to him, trying to catch his arm, but Will was too fast.

Nico's head whipped around. He felt panicky. Reyna was making her way up the hill. He stood directly in front of her, screaming her name. She simply sidestepped and continued on her way.

It was happening again. Even two wars wouldn't have made him a friend. There was no one left for him here. The ground beneath his feet was crumbling open.

He was falling. He could hear the screams below him, and with dreadful certainty, he realized exactly where he was headed. _No. _

"Nico!" someone hissed urgently. He jerked straight up, almost ramming his head into Will.

Nico's breathing was hard. He didn't meet Will's eyes. He laid his head in hands, trying to blink away tears.

"Nico?" His voice was soft now. Lou Ellen and Cecil were dozing across from them. Will must've been on watch. "Nightmare?"

Nico sighed, nodding slowly. Great. How was Will supposed to consider him a hero when _this _happened?

"It's okay," he murmured. Nico glared up at him.

Will winced. "Yeah, sorry. I mean, you're physically okay. You've been asleep for almost four hours now. How do you feel?"

Nico took a brief evaluation. His vision was clear. His limbs felt strong. "I guess I'm feeling better."

But it was half-hearted. Sure, his body was all right. But his whole soul felt like it was burning away.

"What happened?" Will asked cautiously, scooting closer to Nico. He was grateful for the night to hide his blush.

But Nico couldn't explain. _'Oh yeah, well I had a bad dream that no one liked me'. _That definitely wouldn't be attractive. So instead, Nico just shook his head feebly.

Will's shoulder was brushing against his. He didn't press for more details. After a few minutes, he said, "Everything's gonna be fine tomorrow, you know."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

He nodded confidently, one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. Nico felt sick with worry. Python had singled out Will, and Nico wished more than anything that he didn't _care _for him so much. It'd certainly make this whole quest a lot less stressful.

"You should get more sleep," Will whispered after a while. Nico stared at him in disbelief.

"I know," Will said gently. "But you need more strength. I'll be right here watching. I promise I'll wake you if…" He trailed off, his eyes sad.

Nico's resolve crumbled. Will would be here. He lowered himself to the ground, and tried to steady his breathing. He closed his eyes, lying in silence for a few minutes.

Will must have thought Nico was asleep. Or maybe Nico was already dreaming.

But he felt him take his hand, and no nightmares came.

Nico couldn't remember the last time he'd had a dreamless sleep. He slowly felt himself waking up, the morning light brightening his eyelids.

He sat up on his elbows, breathing a sigh of relief. Sure, it was the day they took on Python- but he'd also never felt stronger.

He glanced around, confusion sinking in. Lou Ellen and Cecil were both about twenty feet away, looking in trees and bushes.

Nico frowned, dread seeping in as he started to wake up. He got to his feet, and sprinted to them, his heart racing.

"Where is he?" Nico demanded, almost shouting.

They stared at him, horrified. Nico circled around, confirming his worst suspicion.

It was the morning of the final battle.

And Will Solace was missing.


	9. Chapter 9

Nico was used to battles. In the past, his nerves were steel. He'd learned how to grit his teeth and get through hell- literally. All the foes he'd ever faced- Kronos, Gaea, countless others- and he'd strode into the fight with a detached ferocity.

This sensation was entirely encompassing. He'd never felt anything so suffocating. He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. Lou Ellen and Cecil were watching him for the answers, their trembling hands clutching their weapons.

_Where was Will? _Nico's veins pulsed with adrenaline. Absently, he realized he finally understood why Percy always had such a hysterical fire in his eyes when anyone threatened Annabeth. Or how she could lose her logical rationality the instant someone lay a hand on him.

But there was no room for these thoughts now. Nico forced them out of his mind, swallowing down his rising panic. He gripped the amulet until his knuckles were white.

Lou Ellen was the first to break the silence. With a fragile voice, she asked the question they were all thinking. "What do we do?"

Nico met her eyes. She seemed slightly startled. He imagined how he must look to the others- he could feel his gaze hardening, his eyes darkening, and his posture strengthening. With a grim smile, he drew his sword.

"Follow me."

He spun hard on his heel, marching towards Delphi. After a pause, he heard Lou Ellen and Cecil jog to catch up. The morning light was intense, yet Nico could sense all the remaining shadows arcing towards him. He wasn't doing it on purpose- but he didn't try and stop them.

Not just one war. But there'd been another. And then, after all those deaths he'd suffered, the loved ones he'd lost…he'd gotten this lousy quest. It should've been easy.

But Nico had made a terrible, terrible mistake. And his name was Will Solace.

Lou Ellen and Cecil were struggling to match Nico's erratic pace. After a few tense yards, Nico felt a blaze of heat billow behind them. He knew what it was- the border of Delphi, Apollo's most sacred city, being held hostage by his worst enemy, Python. The sickly green fire stretched further than he could see, and the message was clear- there would be no way out.

The three of them were silent, and their gait slowed as they trekked up a small, swelling hill. From the top, the ancient city awaited them. The sight of it was almost enough for Nico to temporarily forget his worries.

Nestled in a huge expanse of soaring mountains, the faded ruins of Delphi lay in abandoned beauty. Incredible temples and shrines were reduced to nothing more than toppled pillars and rotting marble, but its majesty still resonated through the valley. Bright green sprouts of grass, wildflowers, and weeds choked through the remains of Apollo's home base.

Aside from the crackling fiery border behind them, there was no sign that any living creature had set foot here in eons. Nico groaned audibly, kicking a fallen stone. Lou Ellen and Cecil exchanged panicked glances. He _hated _this. Most monsters had the decency to show themselves in grandeur, and their motives were pretty straightforward.

So what was Python's problem?

"Hello?" he called out loudly.

Lou Ellen leaned towards him, her eyes flashing with anger. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "Do you have any idea who we're dealing with? He has _Will."_

"Exactly," he snarled back, surprised at his own hostility. But Will's absence was making him reckless and angry. "Look. We didn't come all the way to freaking _Greece, _fight those stupid empousai, venture miles through dark forests, and have our best friend _stolen _from us just to be _ignored_!"

He was shouting now. Lou Ellen and Cecil were staring at him with a mix of anger, fear, and disbelief. _This is their first big battle by themselves, _he remembered. Nico considered apologizing to them, but their eyes suddenly squinted at something behind him.

Nico gripped the sword, ready for the giant serpent surely awaiting them. He swiveled, and Python's signature green misty haze spread towards them.

"About time," Nico muttered, drawing his sword in front of him. Cecil shakily drew his standard-issue bronze sword, and stood next to him. Lou Ellen was still peering deeply into the mist, her eyebrows furrowed. She was a daughter of Hecate, and Nico guessed she was seeing more than he and Cecil could.

"Hold on," she murmured, slowly approaching the expanding cloud.

"Lou!" Cecil exclaimed agitatedly.

"Something isn't right," she insisted. She took a step closer. And another step.

Then she froze.

"Oh my gods," she breathed, her arms slack.

Nico's heart slowed. He'd known Python would be disturbing. He was ready for it. But a figure was stalking towards them, excruciatingly slowly, and it looked nothing like a serpent.

A lithe silhouette emerged from the green fog. With one careful step, it broke into the sunlight, though still cloaked in the vapor.

If Nico could have spoken, he might have warned the others about the enormous, looming snake monster sliding swiftly to their right.

But any words were ripped from his mouth. He forgot how to breathe.

Sickeningly bright green light beamed through every crevice of Will Solace's body, and his once sky colored eyes were nothing but sheer green beams of divinity. His once healthy, tan flesh was slowly burning. Nico thought he saw tears in Will's eyes, but they were instantly vaporized by the blazing spirit trapped in him.

"Go on, then," Will choked, and Nico knew instantly he wasn't the one using his voice. "I wouldn't want you to feel _ignored_."

It was then that Nico realized two things. Green eyes were _seriously _overrated. And they were about to be devoured by a gigantic snake.

Lou Ellen's instincts saved them all. With a quick flick of her wrist, the three of them were enveloped in a translucent sphere, similar to the one that had gotten them through airport security a few days ago. The giant body of Python smashed against it, and though Lou Ellen screamed with the effort, their shield held.

Nico took the opportunity to quickly analyze their opponent. A thick, colossal snake convulsed around the crumbling ruins of Delphi. It was maybe fifteen feet long, and its unhinged jaws revealed razor sharp fangs and a disturbingly long digestive tract. Its skin was scaly and moved like liquid silk. It had the same grotesque green color of the surrounding fog and the spirit of the Oracle (now inconveniently trapped in Will). The eyes were a bloody red, full of menace and rage.

They narrowed slightly, and Will stuttered with difficulty, "I told you not to come. But you never listen, do you?"

Will made a groaning sound, but gasped and kept going, "When the gods were incapacitated, I took what should belong to me. The power of the Oracle. For four months, I've had it here with me. I believed I could make it work for me. I was able to glean some very helpful information, but imagine how much _more _I could get if there was a real host. And what better opportunity than this? A bunch of misfit demigods who disobeyed my one rule. But this seems more fitting, right? Apollo's most powerful son- who really isn't all that impressive, by the way- will finally breathe life to his father's prized spirit. It was almost too easy to take him."

Nico clenched his fists, not sure if he should look at the monster before him or the boy he was using as his voice.

"And now that he's here, he will stay. And he will be my Oracle."

Will was breathing erratically. Nico's heart was going crazy. Python obviously had _no _idea how to get a host. He'd heard about what happened to Luke's mom. If he wasn't blessed by Apollo himself, no way could Will keep the spirit. Besides, he wasn't a girl. Nico had no idea how he'd been able to contain the spirit for so long.

Then he remembered- _Apollo's curse. _Will's lineage must have helped him survive this long.

"Will," he whispered, praying to every god he'd ever heard of. Will gave no recognition that he'd heard him, though Nico could still see his eyes watering- whether from tears or from the spirit, he had no clue.

Nico felt panicky tears rise to his own eyes, and he surged forward, trying to reach Will. But before he could move, Python lashed downwards, blocking his path.

"Don't," he snarled with Will's voice. "He is no longer your concern."

Nico glared up at Python's pure red eyes. Lou Ellen and Cecil stood trembling on either side of him. This was no empousai. This was no stray monster during Capture the Flag. They braced their weapons, and quickly exchanged one final look.

And with it, they descended upon Python. Nico went straight for the monster's front, while Lou Ellen and Cecil split to the opposite sides. Python's fangs lashed straight for him, but Nico quickly staggered backwards, slashing upwards with his sword. The blade connected with Python's side, but the scales were like armor. It didn't even leave a dent.

Cecil wasn't faring too well. He tried striking the snake's body, but it was moving too quickly to get in a solid hit. Besides, it wouldn't have broken his skin. Lou Ellen was trying to use the Mist to conceal herself, getting in close to the monster and jabbing at its eyes and mouth.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico could still see the blinding light shooting out of Will's eyes, mouth, and ears. His heart ached, but he was too engaged in combat to let his guard down for a second. The spirit had to be corroding Will's body by now.

Nico swallowed down his fear, trying to focus on the serpent's writhing movements. If he could just get in a strike where it counted…

But he couldn't forget that day in his very first battle, all those years ago, when Will had been the one to heal his wounds. Or how he'd been so annoying trying to hang out with him afterwards. Not to mention how he'd stood by him in his haunting decision to let Octavian die, and take down Leo Valdez with him. Those three days in the infirmary were maybe the start of something better, and the past four months had been a weird roller coaster. But even after Jason's reaction, he'd held firm in his friendship with Nico. That had to mean something. This was the first time he'd felt so _much _for another person.

And now Python was going to destroy it all.

In his distraction, Python was able to rake a fang down Nico's leg. He moaned in pain, the fabric of his black jeans tearing slightly and blood tinging the edges. Cecil shouted in alarm, and Nico thought it was at his wound- but Cecil was staring behind Nico. He whipped his head back, and his stomach dropped.

Will was on his knees, now, holding his head with his hands, desperately trying to contain the spirit that was never meant to be in him. It was obliterating him from the inside out. His skin radiated a strange hue, and Nico knew with a gruesome certainty that he was close to death. He could sense it.

But that wasn't about to happen. Nico turned to Cecil and Lou Ellen, about to explain the dilemma, but they nodded hurriedly. The message was clear. They had to keep fighting Python. Will couldn't hang on much longer.

A week ago, Nico never would've left these two alone with a dangerous monster like Python. They were 'newbies', after all. But with a twinge of pride and nostalgia, he nodded firmly. This quest had changed them so much. Nico recalled how Cecil had screamed shrilly during their first fight with the empousai, and how Lou's eyes had widened with fear at the initial description of their enemy.

But right now, they stared the monster down with an undying ferocity, and Nico almost pitied Python.

With a final glance, he turned around, sprinting towards Will. The green light was glinting violently, and Nico had to squint to see him.

"Will!" he shouted, struggling to get close. He knelt to get on his level. Of course, Will couldn't reply. He didn't even have a voice of his own.

Still, Will seemed to turn his head slightly towards the sound of Nico's voice. Nico nearly sobbed with relief- he still knew him. But a reckless panic quickly overtook him- Will was scorching. His body had never been meant to contain this spirit.

What had William Solace ever done his entire life to have to endure this? Nico took him in- the billowing mist, the spirit slowly suffocating him, and the intense light- and he knew what he had to do.

One more minute of this spirit would annihilate Will.

He had to get it out.

And in what would later be known as the stupidest moment of his life, Nico steeled his nerves, and did the first thing that came to mind.

In one clumsy movement, he braced his hands against Will's neck, and yanked him down.

He did _not _kiss Will Solace.

Nico merely forced the spirit to transfer to a new source- himself- by making direct contact with his mouth. Nico nearly fainted. Maybe it was because of the sheer force of the spirit's eternal power. But deep down, he knew it was because of his lips against Will's. Nico braced his hands against the back of Will's neck, drawing his as close as he could. He parted his mouth slightly, and that was all it took for the spirit to take advantage of an escape.

Everything burned. Everything was tinged green.

Nico shot backwards, into a collapsed heap. His mind seemed to implode. Nico's skin began to boil, and knowledge- _so much knowledge- _coursed through him. In a flash, he saw too many things: his sister Hazel striding down an aisle in an elegant ivory gown, Nico at her shoulder. Percy and Annabeth eagerly showing him their firstborn daughter, their eyes gleaming with excitement and tears. And…other visions. Like Will smiling at him from across a table. And Will fast asleep, his body next to his own. A thousand scenes seemed to play out.

Somehow, he was dimly aware of Python collapsing in a shuddering heap. Lou Ellen and Cecil must have done it. And suddenly they were right next to him, Lou screaming something about an amulet. Someone shoved a cold metal chain between his lips, and pushed down on his chest hard, forcing the spirit to recognize it.

Like a balloon deflating, Nico felt his chest lighten. He blinked slowly, crawling to his knees.

He dragged himself a few feet away, heaving up everything in his stomach. He coughed, turning with difficulty to his friends. Lou Ellen and Cecil looked shell-shocked.

"You just-" Cecil stammered.

Lou Ellen was gripping the amulet tightly, the gem in the center now an emerald green.

"Are you all right?" she murmured.

He didn't answer. His eyes fell upon Will, who was lying flat on his back in front of them. He was breathing with difficulty, his skin badly burned. But his eyes were a brilliant blue once again, even though they looked far away.

"Will," Nico sighed shakily. He made his way to his side, staring down at him in worried silence.

Will's body was trembling. Worry flooded Nico's veins. If Nico felt this bad after containing the spirit for ten seconds, how would Will feel after _hours_?

Will's eyes were unfocused, but they seemed to drift to Nico. Weakly, he managed a slight smirk.

"…you kissed me…" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Nico's cheeks flared. "I did NOT kiss you! I was just getting the Oracle out of you-"

"By kissing me."

"I wasn't kissing you! I was _saving your life." _Nico was almost shouting, but he felt tears of relief spring to his eyes. He was embarrassed, but didn't bother hiding them.

Will's smirk softened. He coughed, feebly reaching his hand up to brush the tears off Nico's face. "No need to cry over me, Death Boy. I'm fine."

But his body was still shaking. His skin was still feverish. Nico clutched Will's hand tightly, holding it where it was.

"No, you're not. Please…please just tell me how to heal you…how to help. What do I do?"

Will's eyes finally focused on Nico.

"'_Save my life'_, you idiot." he mocked. But his hand moved behind Nico's neck, slowly drawing him down.

Nico inhaled nervously, but closed his eyes in final resignation. This time, Will's lips were soft against his own. It only lasted a few seconds, and Nico pulled away nervously. He hovered slightly above Will, unsure of everything.

Lou Ellen and Cecil weren't doing a good job at concealing laughter.

Nico stayed where he was, trying to read Will's eyes.

After a moment, Will raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you could've just used the amulet."

Nico yanked himself up, positive his whole body was burning a bright crimson.

"Well, I'm sorry for not thinking straight!"

"Nice word choice," Lou Ellen coughed.

He shot a glare at her.

"I'm not complaining," Will said, grinning shyly.

Nico smiled back nervously.

He glanced around at the wreckage of Delphi. Nothing remained. The spirit of Delphi was safely concealed in the amulet, and Python was dissolved into the wind.

The four of them heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well," Nico finally announced. "I guess it's time to Iris Message Rachel. We're going home."


	10. Chapter 10

Jules-Albert was getting impatient.

Not that anyone could really tell with zombies, but even Nico knew he was overstaying his welcome. The black SUV was stalled at the top of Half Blood Hill, and Nico could see holiday lights stringing the cabins and shrines in the valley below. Lou Ellen and Cecil were already wearily dragging their luggage down the steep crest. Will was awkwardly fidgeting outside the car, and Nico felt simultaneously nervous and thrilled that he was waiting.

He turned the amulet over in his hand. The center gem was a sickening green, and Nico shuddered as he remembered the lengths they'd had to go through to get this. He dreaded having to see Rachel ever give another prophecy.

Jules made a weird grumbling sound, like he had somewhere else to be. Nico sighed, unbuckling his seatbelt. He should feel grateful to be back home, all in one piece with his friends. But Jason and Piper were waiting down there, and he didn't know how to look them in the eye anymore.

But Will was shivering in the December air (he was _such _a weather snob), so Nico exchanged a silent nod with his zombie chauffeur and stepped out of the car.

Will lifted up Nico's bag. "I got your stuff!"

Nico's lips twitched. "Um, thanks," he murmured, taking it from him. The car peeled out of the driveway, leaving the smell of burning rubber.

"Look who came back alive!"

A voice teased from a little ways down the hill. Nico grinned at the sight of Reyna, dressed in jeans and a Camp Half Blood t-shirt. Her hands were tucked in her back pockets, and the cold wind whipped her messy braid across her smirking face.

She jogged up to greet him and Will, quickly embracing Nico.

"I think you might be needing this," Nico offered her the shining amulet. She smiled, accepting the jewel and staring at it intently. Reyna grasped it firmly, but switched her gaze to Will. She studied him carefully, and Nico wondered if she knew what had happened between them.

But Reyna took an uneasy breath, and said, "Will, I'd like to thank you for participating in this dangerous quest, and for returning the spirit safely. Word of your success has made the first page of _Olympus Weekly_," Her eyes flicked to Nico's for a split second, and instantly he knew she was well aware of the _details _of how the spirit had been rescued. He groaned inwardly. "All the gods are thankful for the return of the spirit to its rightful Oracle, but the fact remains that none of the mythological chaos of the past year would have happened without the…_assistance…_of a certain god."

Will and Nico frowned at each other.

Reyna looked almost apologetic. "Before you guys unpack, I think there's someone who wants to see you."

The praetor instructed them to take a seat in the living room, right where he'd first learned the details of this quest. It seemed like so long ago. Rachel was already waiting inside, and rushed up to greet them as they entered. She tackled them both in a tight hug, stammering words of gratitude and breathless laughter.

Reyna shook her head, smiling slightly, and placed the amulet into Rachel's trembling hands.

"Wow," Rachel rushed. "I can't believe it's back. Do I want it back? Yeah, it's good that it's back. The gods can stop going crazy. I can get all these visions out of my head!"

Reyna blinked. "Right. So, I guess he can help you once he gets up here, right?"

Rachel nodded distractedly, still examining the trapped spirit.

"…He?" Nico wondered, growing suspicious.

He got his answer. Just then, the door swung open. Nico didn't remember the light from outside being _that _bright. Then he realized….that light wasn't from outside.

Will exhaled beside him, his eyes growing impossibly large. The god Apollo whipped off his sunglasses, flashing a brilliant smile.

"Man, those Aphrodite kids sure know how to take a swimming lesson," he announced cheerfully. When he realized his audience, Apollo's blue eyes widened, just like his son's had.

"Will! My man!" He threw his arms around his son, slapping his back hard. Will looked like he was going into cardiac arrest. "Nice work with that spirit! That's what I'm talking about. And your hair is _seriously _nice lately. Have you been using Garnier?"

Before Will could even open his mouth, Apollo switched his attention to Nico.

"And _you, _young man," he exclaimed. "Very _creative _work out there. I mean, anyone else could have used the amulet to get the spirit out of this guy-" He slapped Will's back again. "-but you thought outside the box. You were like…how about I just _kiss _it out-"

"That wasn't a _kiss," _Nico growled, completely scarlet.

"Dad-" Will hissed.

Apollo didn't notice. "Anyways, I gotta admit. You've grown into quite the fine young man since that awful bus ride four years ago. Man, that was rough. Speaking of, I better find Thalia and tell her the good news!"

"What good news?" Nico asked warily.

Reyna gave him a pained smile. "Haven't you heard? Zeus decided his final punishment. Apollo is the Camp Director-"

"-for the next fifty years!" Apollo declared enthusiastically. He pumped his fist in the air. "This is the best grounding _ever!"_

Will met Nico's eyes, and the message was clear. _I am so, so sorry. _

But Nico grinned back. He and Mr. D would definitely make an interesting team. And at least Nico seemed to be on Will's dad's good side.

A question started to form in the back of Nico's mind. "Hey, uh- Apollo?"

He raised an eyebrow at Nico.

Nico glanced nervously at his friends, but steeled his nerves, and asked, "It's about Leo. Leo Valdez?"

Apollo's sunny disposition darkened. His eyebrows bunched in, and he cast his blue eyes down. Nico cleared his throat, pushing on.

"I know he died. I felt that much. But is there any chance…any chance at all that he was able to make that cure work? Or something?" Nico's voice was brittle.

Apollo's smile was sad. "I can't read the future, kid. But I see things, sometimes," he paused, his eyes apologetic. "And as far as I can tell, you and your friends won't be seeing him again."

Nico's hopes shattered.

But Apollo quickly added, "In life, at least. You of all people should know we're never apart for long. Leo Valdez will be in Elysium someday, I promise you."

_Wait. _

"Hold on-" Nico said. "_Someday? _What do you mean?"

Apollo's grin was wicked. "I have a feeling Leo will have his happy ending, one way or another. In fact…" he peered out the panoramic window, then back at Nico. He laughed a little. "You might want to go down to the green right now."

And with that, he sauntered out of the room, clapping Will's shoulder on the way out.

The room was silent for a few minutes, each processing what had just happened. Finally, Will turned to Nico.

"Come on, then," he said, his voice small. "Let's see what my crazy dad is talking about."

Two minutes later, Will, Nico, Reyna, and Rachel jogged over to a congregation of loud demigods. A crowd had gathered by the volleyball courts. They pushed their way to the front.

Annabeth saw them first. There were tears in the corners of her gray eyes. "You made it!" she exclaimed.

Percy turned around, and Nico's heart started pounding. There were tears in _his _eyes, too- that almost never happened. Nico and Will exchanged concerned glances.

Finally, they broke through to the center. Silence fell upon the demigods. Jason and Piper were standing across from him. Nico fought down the urge to run as fast as he could.

Thankfully, they were distracted with something else. It was some piece of furniture…Nico's jaw dropped. _Buford! _Nico rushed forward, his mind racing. He'd thought everything on board the Argo 2 had been blown to pieces. This was Leo's favorite invention- he'd kept _everything _in it. Buford was his right-hand…table? It held all of Leo's blueprints, important equipment, and- _oh my gods. _

Jason and Piper were frantically whispering in hushed tones, peering into every drawer and crevice. Nico stepped closer carefully. Could it be? Annabeth and Percy were right behind him. And next to them…Nico's heart leapt.

Hazel and Frank's eyes lit up when they saw him, though their expressions were deeply worried. Usually, Nico would run over and greet them, but they all understood the severity of the situation. Together, he and the remaining Seven waited in painful agony as Jason and Piper finished scouring the table.

With a final _click, _the last drawer was slammed shut. Piper's face was red and blotchy. She rose slowly, and gripped Jason's hand. Her normally powerful voice sounded as small as a mouse's.

"It's gone."

They took the news in awed silence. Jason was still staring down at Buford, as if it wasn't really there.

The astrolabe and crystal Leo had spent his final weeks devoted to were missing. He'd claimed they had the power to bring him back to Ogygia- a fact Nico _still _had a hard time believing. If it was gone, Leo must have somehow used it. And that opened up a whole new world of possibility.

Hazel met Nico's eyes, a sad smile on her face. Tears were spilling freely from her golden eyes, and Nico felt his chest start to tighten. This, along with Apollo's instinct, led to one final conclusion.

Leo Valdez's story wasn't over yet. And maybe it would never intersect with theirs, but if Nico knew one thing about Leo- he would have one heck of an adventure. Something inside of him finally dissolved, and he had to blink hard to fight the tears.

He looked behind him, and Will nodded slightly at Nico, like '_I told you.' _

The Argo 2 crew finally regained their composure. Though they were still crying, they were laughing now, too- filled with the hope of a new beginning for their friend, and for themselves. The six of them formed a group hug, and Nico stepped back, letting them have their closure.

But after a few seconds, none other but Jason Grace reached out and pulled Nico into their circle. He gaped at Jason, asking him so many silent questions. He didn't smile, but he wrapped his arm around Nico's shoulders, and a missing puzzle piece fell into place.

The group finally pulled away, and Nico faced Jason cautiously. "Jason, I'm so sorr-"

"Save it," he said softly. His tone wasn't friendly, but it was close to it. He straightened his glasses, and glanced behind Nico to Will. "You can thank your friend. He called me personally. Explained everything. I'm still not sure…but I believe you meant no harm, Nico. It might take some time. But you'll always have a place at our table. And, if he's interested…so does Will."

Nico's jaw was hanging open. "He…called you?" He flashed back to their trek through the outskirts of Amfissa. He'd gotten up to help Will gather firewood, only to find him talking to something by the waterfall. Suddenly, it all made sense. Will had Iris-Messaged Jason, to set things right for Nico.

Nico whirled around, and Will pretended not to notice.

"See you at dinner?" Jason asked, trying for a small smile.

Nico nodded excessively. Jason turned, and grabbed Piper's hand. She grinned at Nico, and in that instant, he knew everything was all right.

Nico felt giddy. This was too good to be true. He strode over to where Will was standing, and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Will groaned. "I know I shouldn't have gotten all up in your business, but I couldn't stand the thought of him thinking you were some monster. Because you're not. And even with that dumb prophecy…." For once, he seemed to be scared to meet Nico's eyes. "You're not '_Death_'. You're Nico."

He stared at Will for a few seconds, and it was like his whole world was turning upside down. And for once, it was a pleasant sensation. He knew this would earn more than a few stares, but he slowly reached for Will's hand, and started walking.

Will wrapped his fingers around Nico's, and whispered, "Where exactly are you taking me?"

"Oh, I think you know."

"I do?"

A few yards later, Nico stopped in front of the infirmary. Will blinked, confused.

"Why are-"

"Three days," Nico interrupted. "No excuses, no arguments. No one was made to hold the spirit that long, and you'll be on bed-rest for a complete seventy two hours."

Will narrowed his eyes. "Now, wait just a second-"

"But don't worry- you'll have full medical attention from one of the camp's _best _nurses," he gestured to himself. "And I was trained by the _best _healer Camp Half Blood's ever seen."

Will was silent, one eyebrow raised. He nodded slowly, accepting his fate. "All right, I see how it is. Fine. I'll agree to your terms, on one condition."

Nico waited.

"Let me take you to the campfire Friday night."

"Ah. Oh! Well," Nico's heart was banging against his chest. "You mean, like a…?"

Will shuffled his feet. "Only if you want it to be."

Nico bit his lip. "Look- I don't know what _this _is."

He gestured between them, his face burning brighter every second.

"I was born in 1932. I…I have a lot of _baggage. _You saw me try to sleep. I can't even get through one night without a dream like that. Do you really think you can deal with that?"

"It'd be an honor to try."

Nico smiled a little, but looked at the ground. "I don't want you to heal me. It's something I have to do for myself."

"All right…" Will murmured, his eyes concerned.

"But that doesn't mean…" Nico faltered. "I still want-"

Will's eyes were searching him. Nico didn't know how he felt, much less how to communicate it. He took a deep breath, trying again.

"Will, obviously I _like _you, okay?"

Will grinned slowly. "You do?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "You still annoy the crap out of me, and don't forget it. The _point _is, I'll allow you to take me to the campfire. As not just friends."

"…not just friends?" Will repeated.

Nico nodded cautiously, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm not ready for more than that…yet. But-" He studied Will carefully, thinking about all they'd gone through this past week, and those crazy four months before, and all the time they had ahead, waiting just for them. "I think I'd like to figure it out with you, if you don't mind."

Will leaned forward, but then stopped himself abruptly. "Sorry-"

Nico shook his head, made sure no one was staring too much, then quickly kissed Will's cheek. He pulled away almost immediately, their cheeks both flushed.

Will's eyes fixed on the crowd still gathered around Buford. His expression turned thoughtful.

"I wonder where he is."

"Somewhere good, I hope. Knowing him, he's probably taken over five countries, discovered eighty four new elements, and won Calypso's heart by now." Nico offered, trying to feel upbeat. But his heart still ached with the absence of his friend, and a lingering guilt wavered, though it was almost gone.

He could see Lou Ellen and Cecil making their way to the crowd, but they noticed him and Will. Together, they jogged over to the infirmary doorway.

"Dude," Cecil started, looking at Will apologetically. "I heard about your dad's new punishment."

"Yeah," Will muttered drily, glancing at Nico. "This'll be a fun fifty years."

Lou Ellen grimaced. "Well, at least the gods seem happy to have their Oracle back."

Nico nodded in agreement. "We did good."

The four glanced around at each other, smiling wearily. After a pause, Lou Ellen and Cecil seemed to remember the chaos on the volleyball courts.

"What's going on down there?" Cecil asked, glancing behind him.

"Go see for yourself," Will suggested, smiling wide.

They turned to leave, but Lou Ellen hollered over her shoulder, "So we'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah!" Nico yelled after them, his heart full. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to this whole '_friends' _thing.

He glanced at Will expectantly. "Well? Go on. You've got seventy two hours to get started with."

Will groaned, dragging himself through the doorway. But he stopped halfway in, and turned around, his expression curious.

"Nico…" he cleared his throat. "You had the spirit inside you for a while. Did you- well, when you had it, did you…see anything?"

With a blush, Nico remembered the flashing visions that had overcome him in his brief encounter with the spirit. Scenes with his sister, his friends, and …_others. _

When they locked eyes, they both knew they'd seen the exact same visions.

"Yeah," Nico whispered, his voice soft. "Good things."

THE END


End file.
